Many of us make resolutions for the New Year but few of us can actually stick to them all year long. University of Scranton research quoted in Forbes magazine says that only 8% of people actually make it in achieving their New Year goals. We need help. What I would like to do is offer a blessing for success. Typical resolution makers are resolving to diet and exercise for strength and beauty goals. Do you have these goals for this year?
I wish you great success in gaining strength and beauty this year but my wish might not be exactly what you expect. When my first child was born, I thought she was the most beautiful thing. I prayed that she would grow up to be a beautiful woman, like her mother. They are both physically beautiful but that is not what I prayed for. My prayer was that she would have a great inner beauty because that would be much more valuable than good looks. Like her, I wish you great success in having a kind heart, a graceful disposition, contentment in work and relationships, fairness in all your dealings, gratitude for goodness in the world, trust of good friends, and respect for everyone. Having these qualities and others will ensure that you maintain a vibrant beauty within.
As my children grew up I also prayed that they would be strong. However, this prayer was not for some exceptional physical strength. The prayer was for willpower to pursue good things in life. I wish you great success for this pursuit. A measure of this willpower can be for physical strength but I wish mostly for the wisdom to be a strong person for good in the world. I don’t wish for invulnerability, for it is through a vulnerable spirit that the greatest strength of a person is revealed. It makes no sense to wish for perfection because as Leonard Cohen sings in his song Anthem, “There’s a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.” I wish for you the strength to overcome life’s challenges, the ability to be loyal, the confidence to be real, the fortitude to stand up for what is true and right, and the determination to be generous with people in need. This is true strength.
It is good to work on your strength and beauty goals. I think you will be especially blessed this year if you focus these goals on your inner beauty and inner strength. Be blessed!
Diamond, Dan (Jan 1, 2013). Just 8% of People Achieve Their New Year’s Resolutions. Here’s How They Do It. Forbes Magazine.
Pursuing Peace 